Weak localization in metallic granular media

We investigate the interference correction to the conductivity of a medium consisting of metallic grains connected by tunnel junctions. Tunneling conductance between the grains, e(2)g(T)/pi h, is assumed to be large, g(T)<< 1. We demonstrate that the weak localization correction to conductivity exhibits a crossover at temperature T similar to g(T)(2)delta, where delta is the mean level spacing in a single grain. At the crossover, the phase relaxation time determined by the electron-electron interaction becomes of the order of the dwell time of an electron in a grain. Below the crossover temperature, the granular array behaves as a continuous medium, while above the crossover the weak localization effect is largely a single-junction phenomenon. We elucidate the signatures of the granular structure in the temperature and magnetic field dependence of the weak localization correction.